Pint-Sized Review: Goong/Princess Hours

Pint-Sized Review: Goong/Princess Hours

I took somewhat of a tiny break from watching dramas and go caught up with the hubs on the shows we watch together. I also watched loads of Korean variety shows. So when the drama bug bit me again I thought a re-watch might just be the thing! I’ve never actually re-watched a drama. I did fast forward my way through Boys Over Flowers last year which didn’t do much for my desire to re-watch another drama. However, I am super happy that I decided to watch Goong again!

With all the Princess squees and feels running amok in my heart I thought I’d just take a few moments to gush! Thus the mini-review was born. Sometimes a girl just needs to squee without working too hard on a full blown review. Not that the reviews here are that intense, but I think that this will be a good addition!

My first watch was almost 3 years ago now! Wowza! Princess Hours was my eight drama. Back in those days I was consuming dramas with a ravenous appetite that was neither sophisticated or refined. I just snagged any drama that I could find and sucked it down at alarming speeds! I’m pretty sure that I watched this one in four days the first time round. That’s with a full time job and my life stuff with hubs and kiddlet. No wonder I was exhausted back in the day. Not only that, I didn’t know as much about Korea or the language as I do now. Don’t get me wrong I can’t understand a word without the subtitles, but I can hear the emotions more now and the inflections. That added a whole new level of feels to my watch.

What did I love it you ask? Oh man I’m so happy you posed this question. The OTP! It was as cute and adorable as I remember. Filled with so many sweet moments and the slow burn of love that really hooked me the first time. Such as when Shin puts Chae Kyung’s shoe back on at the party. Or when Shin tells Chae Kyung to go home even though the royal family doesn’t want it. The kiss on their consummation night. All the hugs they shared. Then of course the real kisses as their relationship grows. Kang Hyun and Chae Kyung’s friendship, it was awesome and I wanted to see more of them together. The dowager Empress was cute and sweet and adorable and I want her to be my halmoni! The mix of traditional Korean dress, traditions, and life juxtaposed against teenage life outside of the palace. Chae Kyung’s family! There were so many things that I loved and kept me hitting the next episode button! The Cinderella quality of the story made my heart flutter and there was just enough chemistry between the OTP that I fell in love all over again.

What had I glazed over with fond memories of squees and feels? There was a lot that I had forgotten. Despite how much I loved the slow burn of love for the OTP, I hated how dragged down much of the drama felt. Towards the end of the middle of the drama things sort of come to a halt. Even ex-princess keeps stirring the pot and causing trouble and the OTP keeps not talking! I do believe that is my most hated trope in dramas. When the OTP stops communicating or somehow misunderstand the most simple of concepts and all that love that had been building trickles away. Hyo Rin was another thing that I forgot how much I disliked. Now, don’t get me wrong I love the actress, Song Ji Hyo, so much. We would so be best friends if we ever met. However, Hyo Rin just felt wrong. She believes the lies that Lady Seo Hwa Young fills her head with and she commits herself to being the other woman until Shin divorces Chae Kyung. To that end she creates so many scenarios that cause her just as much harm as it does the royal couple. Hyo Rin is an intelligent and beautiful woman, it is just hard for me to believe that she really thought her actions were acceptable and would result in a good ending for her. To that end I had forgotten how evil Lady Seo Hwa Young was. And how Yul clung onto this love even though Chae Kyung told him over and over again she had no feelings for him. But what was the hardest for me to get through were those episodes where the story came to a halt just to keep the number of episodes growing.

Final Thoughts! I am so happy that I re-watched this one. In my list of top ten favorite dramas this is way up there on the list. The best news is that with the re-watch Goong has not lost any of its allure and fond memories for me. It is a sweet story that plays out like a real life fairy tale. The OTP is amazing and I could watch clips of their sweet moments together over and over again. The costumes and sets are mind blowingly good! Seriously, each seen was a feast for the eyes. The music! This might be some of my favorite OST tracks ever. The second time through I would absolutely recommend this drama to those who are a fan of the Cinderella trope or the Arranged Marriage trope. Goong still gets a rating of a 9 from this Noona!

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4 thoughts on “Pint-Sized Review: Goong/Princess Hours”

Ohhhh now i wanna rewatch it again. I rewatched this drama in August when my drama slump was high. And i remember why i loved it when i first saw it n why i hated some characters. Ah good ol’ memory. Ahh, the times where watching a drama made you feel like you are part of the drama as the story and characters transport you into their world. Such rarity these days.

It is so worth it to watch again! I’m really super happy that I made the choice in re-watching this one. It just made me super happy. That is exactly why I watched this one, I was in a semi drama slump and just coming back after taking a break. It cured the drama blues for sure! Right! There’s something about the older dramas that sucks you into another world that doesn’t happen as often with some of the newer ones. It was like living in that world with each episode.

Haha.. this is definitely one of my favourites. I love the drama as much the manhwa (though I seriously think the manhwa was wayyyyy funnier) ^^ I hate to admit that I used to hate Song Ji Hyo in this drama but now, she’s like my favourite korean celebrities around (all thanks to Running Man) . Anyway, I remember that this drama was colorful and vibrant.

I’ve never read a manga or manhwa but I think I might start delving into that part of Asian entertainment soon. This manhwa is one that really interests me. Oh I hated Song Ji Hyo in this role for sure, but fell in love with her on Running Man. This was such a vibrant story and the visuals are so rich and real.